Van Gundy said that while Rondo is one of the best in the league at his position, he’s not necessarily a good fit with any of the potential trade partners that have been kicked around.

“He’s a hard guy to classify, because he’s very unique,” Van Gundy said of Rondo. “I don’t think he can carry a team without a ton of talent. But on a championship-level team, he’s as good as anyone.”

With that in mind, Van Gundy said that among those teams, Rondo wouldn’t necessarily be a good match.

“I’m not sure any of the contenders are lacking at that spot,” said Van Gundy, who added he would be “shocked” if any team gave Boston two unprotected first-round picks for Rondo.

“Maybe the Pacers would be the best fit,” he said. “But my guess is that he stays in Boston through the trade deadline.”

Van Gundy also said that the two best teams in the Eastern Conference are Miami and Indiana, and added he “can’t imagine what would happen at the trade deadline to change that.”

He also had some nice things to say about Celtics[2] first-year coach Brad Stevens[5], indicating the addition of Stevens was “a great hire.”

“I think it was a perfect situation for a college guy to go in to, in that he has time,” Van Gundy said of Stevens. “Brad is a very smart, very analytical guy who relates to players very well. I think he’s done a great job late in games this year in terms of situational stuff.